Portable scaffold.



A. H. MGGHAN. PORTABLE SCAFFOLD.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.29, 1910.

Patnted Jan. 17,1911.

7 a 2 8 d q p m w I 1 z 2 W q w ADDISON H. MGGHAN, WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF GOLUMBIA, ASSIGNO E r0 THE MoGHA N PATENT SCAFFOLDING COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWdRE, A COR I PQRATIQN 0F DELA'WABE.

Pennants scanner.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Original application filed'June 23, 1910, Serial No. 568,516. Divided and this application filed. September 29, 1910. Serial No. 584.457

I p T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Abelson H. MoGi-IAN, of Washington, District of Columbia, have invented a new "and useful Improvement in Portable Scafi'olds, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

' This, is a division of my application for Patent Serial No. 568,516, filed June 23d,

1910, for portable scaffolds.

The present invention relates particularly to means for supporting and bracing platform boards at one or more points ntermediate of ladder uprights betweenwhich such boards extend, and will be most readily un-.-

derstood. by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein,

---Figure l is a perspective, view illustrating the invention; F1g..2 is a vertical secti-onal view throughone end of-the struc .20

ture 0f Fig. 1; and Fig. 3-is a view similar to 'Fig. '2, showing the use of a ladder section or unit asa base.

fastenedto its supporting rungs by clamps, such as shown in my aforesaid application,

- each "clamp having a hooked bolt engaging the ladder rung and'p'assing through one of a series of holes 43 in the board. The holes d3 are equidistantand preferably 'ar-.. ranged i n,two-rows positioned respectively near opposite edges of the board. F urthermore, the holes are preferably staggered; that is to say, the holes of one row are located between the holes of the other row, so that a line drawn across the board through a hole or" one row willpass midway between two holes of the o'therrow; Where such a platform-board,- used in a scafi'oldof the character illustrated in Fig. 1., or of the character illustrated in my aforesaid appli-'- cation, is called upon to support unusual weight, such as a number of workmenon a single board, or 1n add1t1on to the weight of a workman. the weight of heavy materials, such'as brick, it may be found desir- A platform-board 42 extends between-the ladder uprights and is able to relieve the strain upon the board and upon the rungs upon which 'it rests by the provision of means for also supporting the boar'd at one or more points intermediateof the uprights between which it extends. To that man is an obliquely positioned brace consisting" of two side bars each notched at 45. near one end to 'hook over a' rung d9 of the ladder upright 40; a rung 46 connects the side bars near one end and a rung 47 connects them near the other end and-crosses under the board near its middle or intermediate of the uprights. A hooked bolt 48 embraces the rung 47, and passes through one of the holes 43 of the board to securely fasten the board. and rung together. The brace 44 therefore not only providesan additional support for the board, but re lieves the rung of ladder upright 40 upon which the board rests byfthrowing some of,

the burden upon another rung 49. The brace et is of such dimensions with relation to the positioning of the holes 43 in the board and or the rungs oft-heupright as to form an approximate right; angle between the board and the upright. The brace may be engaged with a rung above or'below rung 49, and the bolt 48 engaged with a corresponding hole 4:3,.the righbangle'relatiom shipbetween the boar-(land upright being still maintained. Figs. 1 and 2 show another brace 50, similar to "braced l, extending from ladder upright il to the board Instead of providing a special construction of brace, such as d lfand 50, lamay use for this'purpose one of the ladder units or sections, like those used in the uprights; but

ladder sections used'for this purpose are less desirable because they pro cct above the board presenting obstructionsin the way of workmen. As shown in Fig.3, 51 isa brace consisting ot' a ladder section or unit having the slotted ends of its side bars engaged with arung 52 of a'ladder upright 53 and locked in such engagement by a turn-buckle connection 54-. The rung 57 at the other end of the brace 51 crosses under the board 55 and is fastened thereto by a hooked bolt 56' passing throu h one of the holes in the board. The dimensions of the parts, positioning of the rungs and of the holes in the platform-board, are such as to give a right-' angle between the board and upright.

What I claim is:-

1. The combination of two upright ladders; a platform-board extending between said ladders and supported by rungs thereof; means for fastening the platform-board to each of its supporting rungs; an obliquely positioned braceconsisting of two side bars having notches at one end engaging a rung of oneof the upright ladders, a rung connecting the side bars at their other end and crossing beneath the platform-board intermediate of "its supporting ladders; and

means for fastening the platform-board direetly to said rung of the brace.

2. The combination ,of two upright ladders; a platform-board extending between said ladders and supported by rungs thereof, said board hailing therethrough a series of holes extending lengthwise thereof; means for fastening the platform-board to each of its supporting rungs, said means at each supporting rung engaging one of said holes in the board; an obliquely positioned braceconsisting'of two sidebars having notches at one end engaging a rung of one of the up-' right ladders, and a rung connecting the I side bars at their other end and crossing beneath 'the platform-board intermediate of its supporting ladders; and means for fasrung of the brace, said means engaging one of the holes in the board. 4 j

3. The combination of two upright ladders; a platform board extending between said ladders and supported by rungs thereof, said board having therethrough aseries of holes extending lengthwise thereof; ineans for fastening the platform-board to each of its supporting rungs, said means at each supporting rung engaging one of said holes in the'board, an obliquely positioned brace consisting of two sidebars having notches at one end engaging a rung of one of the upright ladders, and a rung connecting the side bars at their other end and crossing beneath the platform-board intermediate of its supporting ladders; and a bolt or pin having a hooked endembracing said rung of the brace and passing through one of said openings in the board to fasten the same to said rung.

, In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses.

A. H. Mc'GHAN..

tening the platform-board directly to said, 

